In Norman times the manor was held by the bishop of London. The town developed only after the opening of the Stort Navigation in 1769, when it became a malting centre and grain depot. The town is largely residential, with a variety of schools and colleges. The financier and statesman Cecil Rhodes was born at Netteswell House, now a memorial museum. Pop. (2001) 35,325; (2011) 37,212.

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